Or make after this recipe : One cup each cream and sugar, two eggs, two teaspoons baking powder and nour to make good cake batter. Bake in the cans, slice and spread with jelly ; or, if variety is wanted, bake in gem or^ patty pans and ice with the Chocolate Caramel Icing given in Icing. . MEATS. 395 Every practical housekeeper should spare no pains to perfect herself in this, one of the most important (by many considered the most important,) departments of cooking. Complete directions for buying and curing meats will be found under the heads of Market- ing and Curing Meats, so that here only instructions for cooking are given. If cooked when first killed, meat will be found tender ; ii kept a little time the muscles stiffen and it will be tough, but if left a longer time the muscles relax and the meat becomes more tendet than at first. Young meat of all kinds should be cooked very thoroughly to be wholesome. Beef is always "hung," as it is termed, at least a week in all first-class markets before cut up, in the re- frigerator in summer, and is kept sometimes two weeks in cold winter weather. The leg and haunch of mutton is also preferred by many after it has been hung three days or longer, but all other meats, save game, should be cooked as 'soon after being killed as possible. If necessary to keep meat several days in summer, wash over with vinegiax, cover lightly with bran and hang in a high room or passage where there is a constant current of air. While hanging, change the position of the meat occasionally to distribute the juices evenly. Should there be any signs of a change before it is possible to use it, rubbing the meat over lightly with salt will preserve it a day or two longer. Meat is more likely to spoil in rainy weather than dry and should be cared for accordingly. Beef suet may be kept a long time in a cool place without freezing, or by burying it deep in the flour barrel so as to entirely exclude the air. To restore tainted meat, wash in water in which a little borax ha&i been dissolved, cutting away all discolored portions. 896 HEATS. The best xnanoer of cookiiig tough meat is to boil it very slowly until tender, letting the water all boil away, then brown in kettle or oven. Tough steaks, etc., are improved by laying two hours on a dish containing three or four tablespoons each vinegar and salad oil, or butter, a little pepper, but no salt ; turn every twenty minutes. The action of the oil end vinegar softens the fibers without extract- ing their juices. Some simply soak in vinegar and water, allowing three-fourths pint vinegar to three quarts water for a ten-pound piece, and let lie in this six hours, or longer if a larger piece. To thaw frozen meat, place in a warm room overnight, or lay it .for a few hours in cold water — the latter plan being best. The ice which forms on the surface as it thaws is easily removed. If cooked be- fore it is entirely thawed, it will be tough. Meat once frozen should not be allowed to thaw until just before cooking.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Or make after this recipe: One cup each cream and sugar, two eggs, two teaspoons baking powder and flour to make good cake batter. Bake in the cans, slice and spread with jelly; or, if variety is wanted, bake in gem or patty pans and ice with the Chocolate Caramel Icing given in Icing. . Every practical housekeeper should spare no pains to perfect herself in this, one of the most important (by many considered the most important,) departments of cooking. Complete directions for buying and curing meats will be found under the heads of Marketing and Curing Meats, so that here only instructions for cooking are given. If cooked when first killed, meat will be found tender ; ii kept a little time the muscles stiffen and it will be tough, but if left a longer time the muscles relax and the meat becomes more tendet than at first. Young meat of all kinds should be cooked very thoroughly to be wholesome. Beef is always "hung," as it is termed, at least a week in all first-class markets before cut up, in the refrigerator in summer, and is kept sometimes two weeks in cold winter weather. The leg and haunch of mutton is also preferred by many after it has been hung three days or longer, but all other meats, save game, should be cooked as 'soon after being killed as possible. If necessary to keep meat several days in summer, wash over with vinegar, cover lightly with bran and hang in a high room or passage where there is a constant current of air. While hanging, change the position of the meat occasionally to distribute the juices evenly. Should there be any signs of a change before it is possible to use it, rubbing the meat over lightly with salt will preserve it a day or two longer. Meat is more likely to spoil in rainy weather than dry and should be cared for accordingly. Beef suet may be kept a long time in a cool place without freezing, or by burying it deep in the flour barrel so as to entirely exclude the air. To restore tainted meat, wash in water in which a little borax has been dissolved, cutting away all discolored portions. The best manner of cooking tough meat is to boil it very slowly until tender, letting the water all boil away, then brown in kettle or oven. Tough steaks, etc., are improved by laying two hours on a dish containing three or four tablespoons each vinegar and salad oil, or butter, a little pepper, but no salt ; turn every twenty minutes. The action of the oil end vinegar softens the fibers without extracting their juices. Some simply soak in vinegar and water, allowing three-fourths pint vinegar to three quarts water for a ten-pound piece, and let lie in this six hours, or longer if a larger piece. To thaw frozen meat, place in a warm room overnight, or lay it .for a few hours in cold water — the latter plan being best. The ice which forms on the surface as it thaws is easily removed. If cooked before it is entirely thawed, it will be tough. Meat once frozen should not be allowed to thaw until just before cooking.

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